Lynn loved Christmas. We put up three trees every year. She tried so hard to help over these last years. We used to be able to decorate in a day; last year, it took us nearly a week. Each ornament we hung was filled with memories. Her hands shaking, barely able to stand, she would search for that ideal spot. We broke a record four ornaments, one from our first year of marriage. She was devastated. It all happens in slow motion. And as the ornament falls through the branches and breaks, it's like all those memories, once bringing so much joy, evaporate into the air.

Lynn was exhausted after we'd finished. I found a perfect place, holding her in my arms as she drifted off to sleep, no longer able to hang on.

I could not save the shattering joy.